"Lady Perona! Something terrible has happened!"
A bat zombie flew into the room where Perona was and shouted.
"You're so noisy!" Perona, who liked holding a parasol even indoors, snapped irritably. "Didn't I tell you that ugly things like you aren't allowed near me?!"
"B-but... the prey we lured here this time has almost burned through all the soldier zombies outside the castle, and several general zombies have been defeated too. Lord Hogback is conducting an experiment, Lord Absalom has disappeared somewhere, and the remaining general zombies are still asleep. No one can wake them, so I could only come to you."
The bat zombie hurriedly explained.
"Absalom's missing?" Perona frowned in displeasure. "Don't tell me he's gone off to snatch women from someone else's ship again?"
Thinking of the unidentified woman (Robin) her ghost had seen aboard the Toot Toot Forward earlier, Perona couldn't help muttering a few more complaints.
Then she shook her twin tails and suddenly laughed again. "Horohorohoro... perfect! I'll go catch all those kitties, then have Hogback turn them all into adorable zombie dolls!"
"L-Lady Perona, our opponent is the Sapphire Star, who defeated a Shichibukai not long ago. Isn't it a little too dangerous for you to go yourself?"
A stuffed bear wearing a mask over his mouth cautiously tried to dissuade her.
"Shut up, Kumashi! You're not cute when you talk!" Perona first scolded him, then declared smugly, "Horohorohoro! Lord Moria said that Sapphire Star is nothing to fear. Crocodile, whom he defeated, only had a bounty of eighty-one million Beli before, and he probably only beat Crocodile because that fishlike sword countered his powers!"
"But..."
"Didn't I tell you to shut up?!"
Kumashi wanted to keep trying, but Perona interrupted him. Having made up her mind, she sat on her bed, then